How to get your 8 year old to stop lying?

Answer 1

You lie to him..

Say dinners ready... but it's not..
Oh I guess I lied sorry..

you get the idea?

if that dont work spank his butt

Answer 2

Now here is the real problem, people lying around your child. Children grow up in a world of lying people. We see lying in different forms. The sad part is that children learn about lying. It does not come to them naturally. Should a child be punished for lying, yes. How should you punish them. That is a case by case situation. However, if you want your child to know that lying is wrong, we should stop lying to them and around them. "If you continue to make that funny face your face will stay that way" is one of the oldest white lies around. Is this really the problem. Yes, when you tell your child a non harmful lie like this, you are telling them that these kind of lies are okay. They are to young to understand what is harmful and what is not. Lead by example. That is the best way to stop a child from continuing to lie. This will take time of course, however, you will find that the end result is rewarding.

Answer 3

My son also hit that stage where almost everything he said was a lie. We just started keeping better tabs on him.
If he was told to do something and didn't, we would know before we asked him if it was done. Same with lies told about school. I was calling his teacher everyday to check on his behavior. If he lied about it, then I would take away a privilege. Either playing video games, playing with friends or a promised outing.
It finally got to the point where we were catching every lie and he was constantly losing privileges, so he just quit. I found that he was lying a lot to try to stay out of trouble. I explained that lying only compounded his problems because he was going to get caught. It took a while, but it sunk in.

Answer 4

Start by writing down the lies he has told (keep it somewhere he can't find it).

Then when you have enough written down...look through them and see if there is a common thread in his lies. Eg. Are they all to do with things he says he didn't do when you know he did, or perhaps they're to do with telling his friends he has things that he hasn't etc.

Once you see the pattern of his lies you can identify why he feels the need to lie. E.g. to the first example : maybe he fears the punishment for what he did too much, or the second one...maybe he'd need to learn more about the importance of the things he does have...esp. non material or that you can't afford these things etc.

Some children of 8 just haven't grown out of the lying thing though this is at the later end of when you would expect it to stop.

Give the above a try and see what you come up with.

I used to tell my kids....'nothing you can tell me will be worse than a lie...if I thought they'd done something wrong' and 'If you tell me the truth I won't get angry but we will have to discuss it'

Hope that helps

Answer 5

its called discipline!
I used to lie all the time
Im 17 and my lies were getting serious...
and I didnt care for a while and just kept doing them cause I was in trouble already and they couldnt really take anything else away. They showed me how it hurts them and they showed me how they loved me enough to even care that I was lying, Its easier to be a parent who gives their kids whatever they want and be their "best friend" but it takes someone stong who is thinking of their future and staying strong with what they say. I was grownded until I could slowly prove their trust back, it takes a minimum of three months to break a habit so be patient but I learned my lesson really quick, but Im still in the trust thing
I know its an 8 yr old and not a 17 year old but that could be better he/she is doing it now not later...let them learn lying is unexceptable. It sucks and I hated it but Im honestly glad Ive had discipline or I wouldnt give a care.
stick with what you say too...dont say you cant watch tv then let them....they find you give in and it wont get through...they might call you names or throw a fit but let them do it, show them it isnt going to get them anything but punishment!lol
thats another thing Ive learned!haha
good luck

Answer 6

Children need to realize the difference between imagination and lies, at this age they know the differece. But they do not have the social awarness that others know they are lying. I would tell the child. I know what you are saying is not true, people do no respect individuals who tell lies. This may not work if they are trying to get out of trouble, but often does if they are just telling a whopper. I have told children that what they say is untrue, and suggest the begin the story with a phrase like ,"what if this was to happen, or this is a stange idea but...... It presents them a way to share wild ideas without telling statements as truths.

Answer 7

I think kids are pre-disposed to lying to get themselves out of trouble. Here's what I taught my daughter, #1 - I know when you're lying and #2 - I cannot help you or trust you if you lie. She learned quickly that we could work out any problem as long as she told the truth. It's worked - she's 17 now. We have an very open relationship.

Answer 8

When my daughter was caught in a lie, we would make her confess it to whomever she lied to. It is humbling to have to admit that you lied to someone, especially if you care about that person. I can remember her making up some whopper to her Grandmother. You should have seen her face as she had to tell her "Grandma what I told you was a lie (we always made her use the word lie not "fib"). It was not the truth." If it was something she told her teacher, she had to confess to her teacher, the neighbor etc. She also gets the pleasure of doing extra chores. When she is in the house folding socks while her sister is out riding her bike, it hits home that it really wasn't worth it. We have a saying in my house "that the consequences of lying are far worse than just telling the truth."

The best prevention, though is for you yourself to be as truthful as possible to her/him. Kids at this age really don't understand why a "little white lie" is okay for you to say but then they get in trouble if they do it.

Answer 9

I tried every polite punshiment. I reasoned. i explained. I told her that wrecks relationships. I took toys away. I took priveleges away. I took rewards away... Finally (she is 7).. I did the big one. One morning she got up and I told her today was a swimming day, we were going with some friends. She was so excited. All day we kept talking about swimming that evening. Then I told her to get her swimming bag and she got it so fast, she was so excited. I sat on the couch and told her that we were not going, I lied to show her how that wrecks relationships. She cried for hours until she fell asleep. And she has never lied since! It was hard to do, very hard... but worth it

Answer 10

I have a 8yr old girl that I cant tell anymore if she is telling the truth. She will tell me about something that happened in school and I call a parent and find out she was the one who was to blame and I feel like a ***. I told her about the little boy who cryed wolf---you know that fairytale-- because thats whats going to happen one of these times---she will tell me something and I wont take it serious and something will happen to her!! I always have something to worry about.

Answer 11

Consistency. Pick a consequence that has effect with them, and use it every time they lie (you must not fail in enforcing it every single time). I am way old fashion, so when my daughters tell a lie (not a creative story, or make believe, but a flat out lie) they get a spanking, yep each and every time. However none have a problem lying.

Good Luck